A Cat Against a Hive
by Jessymoto
Summary: When an unknown species of hollow emerges around the SS, those living in the mortal world are left clueless. That is until a nearly dead 2nd division shows up at the Urahara shop. General cast, mostly centered around Soi and Yoruichi. Warning sad/realistic ending.
1. Awakening

Thump thump thump!

The loud knocking of fists against the wooden door of the small shop caused the place to shake a bit, waking the shopkeeper from his futon.

THUMP THUMP!

Kisuke Urahara sat up, looking at his clock. 4 Am. He rubbed the back of his head, yawning, just as the woman next to him shift and let out a tired sigh. "Who, what…where?" said Yoruichi rubbing her eyes as she sat up slowly.

Kisuke didn't reply to Yoruichi in his usual sarcastic way. Instead he just stood up, a serious look on his face; hoping for the impossibility of her not sensing what he did.

THUMP THUMP THUMP!

"Kisuke!" yelled Yoruichi, shooting up from the futon. She tried to make a run for the door hearing the desperation of the knocks, however Kisuke grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back causing her to shoot a death glare at him.

thump…

"What are you doing? Let me go!" she snapped at him, pulling her hand back only for it to be grabbed again. "KISUKE!" she yelled out in anger until the whole building shook with a very powerful reiastu. Yoruichi's eyes grew wide.

A loud screeching roar came from outside the door, causing the two kids from the shop to poke their heads out from their rooms. "A hollow at this hour?" asked Jinta starring at Urahara's back in the hallway.

"Get back inside and prepare as many futons as you can find" Urahara demanded to both kids, knowing Uyruu was listening as well.

The shop shook as a figure came crashing through the roof, landing hard on the ground right in front of him and Yoruichi. He subconsciously wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her closer to him as the smoke from the debris cleared out.

On the ground was a man of the special forces of the gotei. A second division member. Dead.

"Soi fon!" cried out Yoruichi pushing Kitsuke away and shunpoing out through the hole in the roof, coming to stand in midair just above the shop. All around were members of the 2nd squad, attacking and retreating. Most of them were falling like flies from the sky, hitting the ground around the shop. Yoruichi grew more nervous.

"SOI FON!" she yelled out again.

"Shunkou!" shouted the young 2nd division captain, as she sped across the skies to attack the giant insect. A flash of white engulfed the hollow, but did no damage. _Tch, damn this thing. Why now of all times_, Soi thought grinding her teeth and clutching her shirt in the chest. She panted heavily.

The hollow roared again, attacking with its poisonous stinger at the woman. Soi, to exhausted, could barely dodge the main stinger, causing it to scrap her entire right side and send her flying towards the ground.

Yoruichi did not hesitate at all, catching the injured Soi in her arms in midair.

Soi Fon clutched her hands to Yoruichi's night shirt for dear life, panting. Her face was covered in thick sweat and was extremely pale, except for her cheeks which were bright red. She closed her eyes tight, wincing with incredible pain. "Forgive me... Yoruichi…sama..." she said through her pants, easing her grip off the shirt, "for…distu..."

"Shhh" Yoruichi cut her off, knowing already what the girl was going to say. She tried to crack a smile to assure the girl, even though inside, her heart was racing. "You didn't disturb anyone silly bee." Yoruichi landed on the ground with Soi in arms, trying to be as gentle as possible with the girl. Soifon's blood was dripping from her side around Yoruichi's arm, and not at a slow rate either. "Now let's fix that scratch, eh Soi?" she said with a nervous tone as Soi's pants turned more and more desperate. "Don't want to leave a scar after all."

When the hollow let out another screech, Soi clutched down on Yoruichi's shirt once again. She cried a loud sob and placed her face to Yoruichi's shoulder to null out her cries. Her body felt like it was being crushed in half.

"Soi fon!" Yoruichi now more scared than ever at the breathless sobbing woman in her arms." You stay with me ok? You hear me? You stay with me!"

Soi Fon let out a scream, unintentionally biting down on Yoruichi's shoulder while she stabbed herself with her own shikai on the leg to counter the poison in her system. The dark woman winced slightly at the unexpected pain, but her adrenaline was too high to feel any discomfort from the bite at the moment. She moved Soi's head away from her chest to see the girl's face even more red. She then noticed Soifon's skin felt really hot.

"Yoru..ichi..sama…" Soi Fon tried to speak through gasps.

"Soi you're burning up!" Yoruichi cut her off putting her cheek to the girl's sweat ridden head and gasped with her eyes. Soifon's fever must have at least been over 103. Bare minimum.

Soi Fon had raised her hand to point out the bite on Yoruichi's shoulder, which wasn't even bleeding. "I'm…sorry..Yoru..ichi..sama."

"It's ok Soi. It doesn't even hurt. It's ok."

Soi turned away, to ashamed that she hurt her. She could tell Yoruichi was close to tears. She knew everything about the woman. However, that fact made Soi Fon even more ashamed. Not only did she hurt her physically, but emotionally as well.

"Soi look at me. Soi! Look at-"

The hollow screeched causing a giant wave of reiastu to fly towards them. Soi Fon arched her back and let out a terrifying scream. Yoruichi embraced Soi even tighter, hugging her close as Urahara did her at times. The embrace did not stop Soi's cries, and each and every one of them stung Yoruichi's heart.

"Soi what's wrong? What's the matter?"

Soi Fon could not answer, locking her jaw down in pain, her fists clenching onto Yoruichi's clothing. She wanted to speak, but she couldn't even breathe. And then she lost control.

The wind circled them, as Soi Fon's body began glowing. Her shunkou was activating on its own.

"AHHHHHH!"

"Soi! Dammit it!" Yoruichi embraced Soi Fon even tighter before she herself began activating her own shunkou, to cancel out Soi's. It worked, but not without a blast, attracting the nearby scorpion hollow who charged at them soon after. Yoruichi covered Soi's body with her own, embracing for impact.

"Cry, Benihime."

Urahara's shikai blast, sliced through the hollow's midsection. Black blood spilled out of the insect however it survived, turning its attention to the man. Urahara's eyes widened in shock as he came to the realization to what that hollow was.

Getting ready for another attack towards it Urahara raised his blade over his head. A blast of kidou coming from inside the shop suppressing the hollow in place, as Urahara swung his sword down, cutting it once more and killing it for good.

Tessai walked out of the shop with a look of confusion. "Was that a-"

".. a Hive Hollow." Urahara finished Tessai's sentence.

"But how did a Hive Hollow get out, let alone end up here?" Tessai looked at Urahara, whose attention was all over the dark toned woman picking up an unconscious and torn up 2nd division captain bridal style.

"I haven't a clue," Urahara responded, his eyes still on Yoruichi who ran past him in the speed to much for him to keep up. "We need to find out though."

"Should I call Ichigo?"

"Hai. Make sure the girl comes as well."

"Understood."


	2. Fever

Yoruichi rested on her knees next to the futon Soi Fon rested on, her hands squeezing a dish towel above a bucket of water, draining as much water from it.

Soi Fon winced in her sleep again, arching her head back. Her eyes, though closed, shook in pain.

Yoruichi placed on the towel on Soi's head, causing the young girl to move her back to normal position. Her eyes however, still winced and her body shivering.

"How is she?" Urahara asked, walking into his and Yoruichi's room where she had placed Soi.

Yoruichi closed her eyes, mentally sighing, as Urahara slid closed the door behind him. You could hear screaming and the footsteps of the shop inhabitants running from room to room. She addressed him with eyes still closed, "it sounds like the 4th in here," not bothering to answer his question.

Urahara chuckled then rested on his knees next to Yoruichi, "maybe we should give Uryuu a braid like Retsu has and dye Jinta's hair silver like Isane's," he replied smirking.

Yoruichi chuckled finally opening her eyes, "Uryuu can pull it off she even has Retsu's sketchy personality. Jinta on the other hand would make Isane look like a mad woman and short."

Soi Fon winced and turned her head again, alerting both former captains who stopped joking around to look at her. Yoruichi grabbed the tissue box she had on her night stand and began wiping some of the sweat from around Soi's neck, her eyes showing concern.

Urahara maneuvered himself from his knees, to a sitting position, placing his hands together under his sleeves. "Tessai is trying to get a hold of Ichigo and the others but it's proving quite difficult."

"Why is that?" Yoruichi questioned, not looking away from Soi as she continued to dry the young captain off.

"Well, he thinks it has to do with it only being 4:30 in the morning." He sighed, "Kids these days; always sleeping their lives away."

Yoruichi smirked, "sleep? What is this sleep word?" she replied sarcastically finally sitting back again.

Urahara looked at Yoruichi and her guilty expression as she kept starring at Soi. Moving his right arm, he put his hand on her left shoulder. She moved her right hand and placed it over his placed hand before she let herself sway to the side to rest on him. "You should take a break," he said, moving his hand away to lean on the floor, supporting them both.

"You can't expect me to," she replied with a serious tone causing him to sigh.

"I know. Still no one will judge you if you did."

"Kisuke...please..." she pleaded him in a serious tone for him to stop nagging her about it. He got the message instantly, the room falling silent to nothing but Soi Fon's desperate breaths.

"Her fever going down?" He asked, truly concerned as his eyes rested at Soi's pain ridden face.

"No..." she replied sitting back up from him. "It's getting worse." Yoruichi reached for the towel she placed on the girl's head to notice it was already warm. Removing it, she repeated the process of soaking it in the bucket.

"Poison?" Urahara questioned not looking away from Soi.

"No." She replied seriously. "She countered the poison with her zanpaktou. This is something else altogether Kisuke."

Yoruichi moved the blankets away from Soi's bandaged chest, causing a whine to escape the girl's lips as she began shivering more. "Shhh…it's only for a second my bee," responding to the girls unconscious complaint.

She inspected the bandages to see that the bleeding from the wound Soi obtained had slowed down a good amount. She breathed out a sigh of relief before she covered Soi again and moved some of the girl's sweaty hair away from her face.

"I'll make sure as soon as Inoue san gets here she tends to her," Urahara stated, standing up hearing Jinta call for him.

"Kisuke?" Yoruichi called before he could slide the door open.

"Hai?"

"Are there-" she paused "survivors?"

"More so than dead. Some however are severely injured or poisoned. Tessai is working on antidotes but it's not a slow moving poison and there are too many. Most he can get done is a temporary one to slow it down before he needs to read minister it. An endless cycle."

A whisper shivering tone filled the room, "t-t-them."

Both Yoruichi and Urahara turned to look at Soi who had her eyes semi open.

"Let-t-t….Ry-oka…g-g-gir….ten-tend…to..t-t-them...fir-fir-st," Soi spoke through her shivering body and breaths.

"Awww!" Urahara teased, "What a sweet, caring, taichou you are Soi-chan!"

The 2nd captain closed her eyes again and gave a disgusted grunt at the shop keeper.

"Soi," Yoruichi stated leaning closer to the girl, "I understand your concern for your subordinate's but-"

She was cut off by Soi Fon shaking her head no.

"Well I'll leave you two to it then," Urahara stated as he slid open the door and left the room.

Yoruichi smirked placing her palm to Soi's cheek, feeling it get warm immediately. "Stubborn as always. What am I to do with you?"

"Go-go-gom-en-" the young girl apologized, taking in a giant breath. Yoruichi just sighed removing her hand and sitting up.

"Yea yea," she replied to Soi, removing the towel from the bucket and placing it back on Soi's head. "I want Inoue to see you first whether you like it or not. Poison can be stalled but your fever can't. Besides you'll be more help countering the poison then the girl."

Soi smirked, opening her eyes slightly again to look into the yellow eyes looking down on her. She took in another deep breath, feeling pain pound into her chest but did her best to hide it from her caretaker at the moment. Yoruichi though caught it when Soi took a while to let out her breath. "You're not fooling anyone Soi. Is it the wound? Did it open?"

Yoruichi grabbed the sheets again to inspect but her hand was stopped by Soi's.

"Oh for fuck's sake Soi now is not the time to be shy. Not like I haven't seen your bare chest before." Yoruichi removed her hand from Soi's and removed the covers. The bandage was unchanged but she figured she might as well change it now while Soi was conscious.

Moving her right arm under Soi's neck, she helped the girl sit up straight receiving massive wincing sounds from the captain's lips. Even though the noises stung her, she ignored the sympathetic feeling towards the girl. She knew perfectly well that the captain was in pain and it was better for her to show it then bottle it in.

When Yoruichi moved her left hand towards the bandages wrapped around Soi's chest, her arm was grabbed to a halt by Soi's trembling right hand. "Soi stop being impossible, I need to-"

Soi dug her nails into the tan woman's arm, gripping harder and harder as she took deep breaths. "Yoru..sama…n-n-no."

Yoruichi sighed, not minding Soi's grip on her arm. "I know it hurts. Gomen for that. We are low on painkillers due to Ichigo and his friends. Just bear with it for the moment. You'll be better in no time."

Soi Fon shook her head at her former sensei and collapsed forward towards her in a small coughing fit. Yoruichi rubbed the girls back until she was finished. "It's…all…my fault..Yoruichi sama…" her eyes beginning to form tears. "I…f-f-failed..you-u. I failed..the…comm-m..ander."

"What are you talking about?" Yoruichi was completely confused. "Failed me?" Soi Fon began another coughing fit aching everywhere in the process. "Oi Soi!"

"..the Hive…I..triggered…the hive."

Yoruichi's eyes widened. "What? Why?" Yoruichi pushed Soi fon away and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Soi what would possess you to do that!"

Soi looked away not being able to look at Yoruichi in the eyes. "Orders.."

"Orders? Orders from who? Soi look at me! Orders from who!" She shook the girl a bit getting impatient and now thoroughly concerned that panic was inevitable.

"Commander…dono…for….c-cure."

_Cure? _Yoruichi questioned in her mind

"But…I…failed and-"

A loud cracking sound filled the room, cutting the 2nd captain off from her explanation and alarmed Yoruichi who looked towards where the sound came from. Soi Fon's sheathed zanpaktou. Yoruichi froze turning her head in complete fear and shock towards her former student who had her eyes pressed shut in pure agony, her teeth clammed together as her lips quivered violently.

"SOI FON!" Yoruichi screamed, gripping the girl's shoulders tighter in complete panic. Every shinigami knew that if a soul died, their zanpaktou died with them. It was a representation of their soul after all. Soi's cracking suddenly meant one thing, that she was dying.

"YORUICHI!" the screaming voice of Jinta filled the hall as the little boy slammed the door open to the side drenched in blood and panting heavily; screaming noises all behind him. Yoruichi turned to face him abruptly with a scared shocked face. "These people have the fucking Alma plague!"

Everything seem to happen all at one time going too fast for Yoruichi to register. The front door opening. The pained screams of Urahara telling a 2nd squad member to relax. A hollow screech appearing loudly from outside. Another cracking noise omitting from Soi Fon's zanpaktou. Yoruichi heard them all, but heard none of them at the same time as she turned to look back at Soi Fon trembling violently in her arms.

The sound of Soi taking in a giant gasp of air not finding it; the sound of her own scream that followed soon after.

Was all Yoruichi could hear.

**Disclaimer: I do not own bleach or any of the characters. Those belong to TK. I just own this story and plot XD *gasp* I actually might kill someone off, who knows haha.**

_Thanks for the review. I wasn't sure if anyone liked the first chapter so I stalled making this one until I saw it. It's my first time writing a fanfiction so I could use the feedback, good or bad XD Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed. I'll write chapter 3 sometime this week. For the moment, enjoy chapter 2._


	3. We Can't

The sound of Yoruichi's scream echoed throughout the entire hut alerting all occupants including Orihime and Ichigo who had just walked into a mess they were not expecting. "What the..hell?" he questioned as the door right next to him swung open, Urahara running out and towards the next room where the scream had originated. "Oi Urahara san!" Ichigo screamed after him, completely getting ignored as Tessai ran between him and the orange haired female for the front door.

"I'll handle the hollow! Jinta!-" he screamed out hoping the boy got the message of taking care of the squad member Tessai was just with.

"On it!" screamed the boy running across the hallway to where Tessai came out of. The sounds of grunts and screaming were heard all around the shop, however none seemed louder than the ones coming from the last room down the hallway where Urahara had ran into.

Ichigo and Orihime bolted down the hallway towards it.

"DAMMIT SOI BREATHE!" screamed Yoruichi who sat on the ground cradling Soi on her lap as the girls head was arched back on Yoruichi's right arm searching for any oxygen as she wheezed deep inhales. "SOI FOLOW MY BREATHS! SOI COME ON! SOI FON!-"

"Yoruichi!" Urahara slammed the room door open and stopped in the middle of his tracks at the entrance his eyes wide.

Soi fon gripped to her sensei's clothes for dear life. She didn't want to die. Not in her arms, and not like this. The sounds of her own wheezing for oxygen were nothing to her in comparison to the desperate panic in Yoruichi's voice. She wanted to look into her eyes, she wanted to tell her to calm down. But she couldn't. All she could do was grip onto her and keep her teary pain struck eyes shut tight, having to hear the very same panic driven tone that she in her life never wanted to hear.

"KISSSSKE!" Yoruichi panicked screamed feeling him enter the room. She continued to rock the girl in her arms, her left hand placed on Soi's chest shouting more commands right after for Soi to regulate and control her breaths. Nothing however was working, and Yoruichi felt she was close to sobbing. She would not lose her, she couldn't.

"Yoruichi san!" Inoue shouted, running past Urahara frozen in the doorway, towards the two ladies. She landed on her knees across from Yoruichi and extended her palms out immediately. "Reject!"

Immediately, two flashes of light flew from the girls headpin towards the 2nd captain, engulfing her in a golden warm light. It took mere seconds for the captains breathing to regulate, and within minutes the gash on the side began closing. However, something was amiss. Orihime felt as though her power was being pushed back by something, and the more she tried to push through it the more uncomfortable Soi Fon seemed to be getting.

"That's enough…" Yoruichi commanded to the girl with an exhausted tone, never having taken her eyes off of the 2nd captain still in her arms.

"But Yoruichi san I-"

"I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!" Yoruichi hissed giving her a death glare, which caused Orihime's power to instantly break. The young girl never received such a cold tone before from the tan woman before and instantly slid a few centimeters back shocked, upset, and afraid. She took a breath in to reply but was halted by a gentle hand landing on her shoulder.

"You did well Inoue san," replied Urahara to the young girl with a smile before he removed his hand from her shoulder. "Come. Let's give these two a little bit of time alone." She looked towards Yoruichi across from her looking for any sign that the woman was ok with this, but receiving nothing, not even the slightest eye contact, she stood up, fist over her chest, and obeyed.

Urahara began walking towards the door, looking over his shoulder at Yoruichi's back as her head was slumped forward to the unconscious girl in her arms. He closed his eyes and mentally sighed, turning back around and leaving the room, closing the door lightly behind him so he did not disturb. Ichigo and Orihime, waiting for him just outside.

"You want to explain to us what's going on? Why is Yoruichi in there losing her shit and why is your shop filled with bodies?" Ichigo barked as soon as he closed the door.

"My my. No respect for the sick, Kurosaki. Let's move away from here and talk in the kitchen."

"Urahara san. I didn't mean to hurt Fon taichou I was just-" Orihime was interrupted by him placing his hand on her head, comforting her from her watery eyes.

"It's alright Inoue san. It's not your fault. You did everything you could do and you helped out a lot as well. More so than expected actually. To which I am forever grateful." Dropping his hand, he entered the kitchen, the two teenagers behind him.

"What I don't understand though," Ichigo stated, sitting down in the small circular table in the kitchen, "is why wasn't Inoue able to heal her all the way? If she has a disease, or plague, or whatever, Inoue's powers should have been able to counter it."

"Not exactly Kurosaki. Inoue's powers work as a rejection towards injury to the living soul or being. However, the Alma plague itself is a living organism. She can not reject something from living. At least not yet." He glanced at her before he continued. "So even though the intentions were to save Fon sama, the rejection also rejected anything wrong with the actual disease."

"Meaning what exactly?" Ichigo asked, confused.

"Meaning..I …made the disease…worse.." replied Orihime, her eyes covered by her bangs.

Ichigo slammed his fists into the table. "Then why did you have her try to cure her to begin with?"

"Kurosaki-kun..don't-"

"No Inoue! Dammit! Answer me! If you guys knew it would make her worse then-"

"We didn't know Kurosaki." Urahara cut him off, looking down at the table with sad eyes. "It was a theory. There is only one cure for the Alma plague, and considering the 2nd division went to the Hive, best guess is that they don't have it and didn't get it either considering the hollow attacks. Using Inoue's abilities was a gamble and Yoruichi knew it too. Fon taichou is just someone…well…very dear to her."

Ichigo messed up his hair trying to sink in all the information, "ahh so confusing! So let's go to this Hive place and get the cure then."

"We can't."

"AND WHY THE HELL NOT?"

"Well for a number of reasons. One, the cure is not actually there."

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN THE CURE IS NOT THERE YOU JUST SAID THERE IS A CURE!"

"There is a cure. Making it is easy except for one ingredient, which is in the Hive."

"Well then let's fucking go get the ingredient then!"

"We can't."

"FUCK YOU! WHY?"

"Well for a number of reasons. Two. The actual ingredient is very difficult to get. The Hive is not just a place where anyone can waltz in, grab some honey, and go. It's a secure location on a different plane. The hollows resting in there are all insects, hence the name Hive that it was given. All of them are as old as Commander Yamamoto if not older."

"Ohh..shit.."

"My words exactly when I first heard about it." Urahara chuckled before he continued. "The Hive has only ever been unsealed once in the 1600s during the outbreak of the first Alma plague and many people died as a result. It is a two part seal for a reason. The first part allows you access into the Hive however with a price. Those who break the seal get chased down endlessly by the worker insects until they are killed or the seal is restored. Worker insects are not to be taken lightly either. They have incredible endurance and many of them can even regenerate. If the person is killed then the second seal breaks on its own unleashing the queen of the Hive. That, Mr. Kurosaki, is something I hope you never live to see."

"Pfft, I can handle it."

Urahara chuckled. "Don't get your head up to high in the clouds Kurosaki. Only one person ever was able to reseal the Hive after the second seal was broken, and they barely made it through."

"That person wasn't me."

"Oh? So your saying your stronger then Unohana Restu then?"

Ichigo gulped causing Urahara to laugh before Orihime continued the conversation. "So are you and Yoruichi sama going to go there?"

Urahara shook his head. "We can't."

"Oh you bastard. Say you can't one more time-!"

"Calm down Kurosaki," replied Tessai walking in and pouring Orihime more tea. "There is no need to keep raising your voice."

"I wish we could. The Hive can only be located by a soul with an insect spirit. Much like the 2nd division captain has, and as you can tell she is in no condition at the moment to go on a hiking trip." Urahara looked over his shoulder towards the kitchen door, his mind on the two women down the hall.

The room fell quiet to the echo of grunts coming in from other rooms. Ichigo went to say something again, sympathy in his eyes, however no words came to him as he looked towards the door as well.

Yoruichi laid Soi Fon back down in the futon, instantly ripping the bandages around the woman's chest with no effort at all before she covered the girl. The noise having awoken Soi who grunted in disgusted at that moment. The dark woman paid no mind to it as she reached for the tissue box once more.

"Forgive me. I made you angry." Soi stated with an innocent and weak tone. Yoruichi ignored her, pulling out 3 tissues and wiping more sweat from around Soi's head. "I must look disgusting to you."

"When did you get the Alma plague?" Yoruichi questioned, tossing the tissues aside and reaching for the bucket again.

"Not sure…" Soi replied, opening her weak eyes. "A few weeks ago? Maybe months-?" The sound of dripping water caused her to turn her head to Yoruichi as she squeezed the rag. "That's not necessary Yoruichi sama, your hands-"

"My hands?" Yoruichi blinked at her then looked at them, "what about them?"

"They're getting pruney."

Yoruichi smirked, "they are. HA! Would you look at that! I guess that just means I'm not a goddess doesn't it?" Yoruichi gently slammed Soi's head with the cloth, laughing soon after causing Soi fon to close her eyes and grunt once more. "And you don't look disgusting to me."

"I don't… look… fitting for… your presence…" Soi replied, starting to doze off, Yoruichi smiling noticing it. She began gently petting the girls head.

"You don't need to impress me Soi. You being you is enough. I just wish you had told me."

"..Mmm.."

Yoruichi sighed, placing her chin to the girl's hair. "Now get some rest my little bee. I will be here when you wake up."

"The..coat.." Soi Fon stated, her eyes still closed. "In the pocket. For you and Kis-" she paused and opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling. "Urahara-san. "

Yoruichi arched her eyebrow then sat up looking at Soi confused as the girl closed her eyes again and took a deep breath in. She quickly stood up and headed for the hanger where she had placed Soi's captain haori and reached in the inside pocket. In her hand, she found two small vials.

"What are these?" she asked, getting no reply from the girl. "Soi?"

"They are…vials.." the girl replied waking up slightly from her exhausted trance.

"Yea, well, I got that part. Vials of what?"

Soi turned on side and began coughing, grabbing the cloth from her forehead to cover her mouth. Yoruichi instantly returned to the girls side, dropping the vials on the girls lap, and lifting her to a sitting position to ease the cough a bit. Soi looked at her just mere inches from her own face and turned away instantly blushing. "You,you,you…don't need to help me Yoruichi-sama! I can-" she coughed more interrupting herself. Yoruichi laughed, rubbing the girls back until the coughing seized for good.

"Your right. I don't have to help you. But I want to help you. Why strain yourself when you have me as your nurse? I would be relieved if I was you. Or would you rather Retsu right here tending to you instead?"

Soi Fon smirked, closing her eyes again, forgetting she was in Yoruichi's arms as she began pushing her weight down dozing off again. Yoruichi however, did not mind it and laid the girl back down as she finally fell asleep. Grabbing the cloth from the side of the futon, she went to drop it into the water again but stopped halfway picking it up, noticing the tiny red spots of blood on it. She moved her hand to inspect Soi's lips, but the 2nd captain had grunted in that moment, turning, causing the vials which were placed on the futon to roll off towards Yoruichi's knees. She picked them up and then headed for the door.

Reaching the tiny kitchen, she heard the voices of Urahara, Tessai, Ichigo, and Orihime go quiet as she came to the entrance. Normally a moment like this would have angered her or caused her to enter naked giving them a reason to fall silent. But right now wasn't one of those the times. She walked right in and tossed the blood driven cloth on the table, causing empty tea cups to fall over, earning a loud complaint from Ichigo. She ignored him, looking at Urahara as he saw the cloth.

"Get Retsu on the phone now" she ordered coldly to him before she headed towards the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

**Disclaimer: I do not own bleach or any of the characters in it**.

_Thanks so much for the reviews guys. I'm in shock cause people are actually reading my story and liking it XD Anyway enjoy chapter 3. I prob won't load chapter 4 til next week. I'm hoping this story doesn't go on longer then 6 chapters at most O_O haha_


	4. Emotions

Yoruichi rested her back against the bathroom door. She never allowed herself to cry. Not in public at least. Nor would she admit to anyone including herself that she had emotions. But everyone knew she did, even she knew, it was just the catlike nature of hers to not show it.

Slowly picking up her hands to her face, she noticed they were shaking. For how long they were was unknown to her. She didn't even care at this point. She was terrified and even if she was an expert in hiding her emotions, her body was denying her the satisfaction to appear strong in this case. Soi Fon was dying. And Yoruichi felt completely helpless in the matter to the point she allowed the tears to fall freely from her eyes. Soi meant the world to her, and the thoughts that subconsciously came every so often of her not being in it, made Yoruichi suffer even more emotionally.

She slid her back down the door, landing on the bathroom floor. A look of despair and anger in her face. Retsu was her only option. Retsu had to save her. Cause god help the world if Soi Fon was taken from her. Just the thought made her want to punch something and scream. She bit down on her bottom lip, allowing her hands to form into fists.

"Yoruichi san?" Orihime's low whisper came through the bathroom door, breaking her out of her angered trance. She wiped her face, trying to compose herself, worried Orihime might have heard her. "Yoru-"

"Hai?" she replied with the best calm tone she could muster up at that point.

"Urahara san says the connection will be up in an hour."

"Ok..." Yoruichi replied, standing up quietly from the ground.

"I've prepared some soup if you're hungry."

_Soup?_ Yoruichi thought. _I hate soup_. "Umm…arigatou Orihime, but I'm not hungry. Just..umm give me a minute.. I'll be out soon."

"Take your time. I've prepared enough bowls in case you change your mind."

"Ok-" she said, not really caring about the soup. Walking over the sink she looked in the mirror and saw the bloodshot eyes causing her to look away and down at the sink. Her reflection at this point was just a reminder to her that it wasn't just some nightmare. Unlocking the water gauge, she washed her face, once again hiding her emotion.

_Now is not the time to lose it. Get a grip woman. Get a grip. Everything is going to be just fine. Just keep your head. She'll be fine. She's Soi. She'll be fine_, Yoruichi thought in a trance taking in a deep breath in her last effort to compose herself before she opened the door.

Orihime was standing just outside as if waiting for her.

"Oh gomen. Didn't know you needed to use the bathroom. It's all yours," Yoruichi stated, trying her best to be respectful even though she didn't want to be bothered. Taking a few steps away from the door, the young girl didn't even move towards the bathroom but instead looked concerned. "Inoue is everything alright?"

"Yea, no yea. Everything is fine Yoruichi san. I was just umm. Wondering. Well, if you were ok. Urahara san mentioned that Soi was someone dear to you and that I might have made her worse and then I-"

Yoruichi cut her off by putting a finger to the girl's lips. "I'm fine." Yoruichi removed her hand and winked. Once again covering up her emotions like the master she was. "I can get testy at times. Don't pay mind to it, you did fine."

"Understood," she replied with a smile dropping the subject. "Oh and I left a bowl with Fon taichou. She thanked me but she hasn't touched it. Maybe you can convince her to eat? It might make her feel better. I just wish there was more that I could do."

_A bowl? Of soup?_ Yoruichi thought bursting out laughing and confusing the girl. "Well I will try my best to get her to eat. She woke up already?"

"H-Hai. Though she seems very weak." Orihime said looking away.

Yoruichi pat the girl on the shoulder as a symbol of comfort. She had no words to say. She herself knew that Soi was going to be weak. And the more time that went by the weaker she would get. Still, it was nothing she would say out loud.

Soi Fon turned her head towards the door as it slid open mustering up a weak smile as Yoruichi came into the room quietly. "Hey..." she said immediately regretting it at the sound of her own raspy weak voice. What was worse about it is that Yoruichi smiled right after but with sad eyes. Soi Fon knew she was hiding her own pain but to call the woman out on it was something she would never do. So instead she weakly padded the floor right next to her futon, inviting Yoruichi to come sit even though the woman was already walking towards to do that.

"Soup!" Yoruichi shouted teasingly, sitting on her knees next to the bowl where the girl had patted. "Smells good, doesn't it Soi?"

The 2nd division captain, closed her eyes and grunted, causing the dark woman to burst out laughing. "Ah come on now my bee, I know how much you adore soup! I still recall all those 15 plus bowls you ate that one time."

Soi Fon grunted again, "You recall eh? Well I recall I ate them because the fukutaichou made them all for you after you lied to him saying you loved soup. Then he overdid it to get on your good side, and I was the one that ended up eating them all so he wouldn't find out."

"Yea…I know.. I felt so bad for him. I didn't think he would take me seriously-"Yoruichi stated, getting cut off by a pillow smacking her dead in the face. "Oi!"

"You felt bad for him?" Soi exclaimed, coughing soon after for raising her voice.

"See? That's what you get for yelling." Yoruichi laughed, causing Soi to grunt again. "Plus, I didn't think you hated it THAT much." She replied, picking up the girls head and placing the pillow back under it.

"Didn't think I hated it? I was begging you to stop when you kept spoon feeding it to me."

"Ah, good times. Good times." Picking up the bowl, Yoruichi grinned at the girl, "if you want I can feed it to you again."

Soi blushed, turning her head away from the dark woman.

"Awww so is that a no?"

"YORUICHI SAMA!" Soi yelled at her teasing, having a hard coughing attack soon after.

Yoruichi put the bowl down fast, and picked up the girl, sitting her on her lap. Still the coughing continued for a good while and every gasp of air Soi could muster up led her into coughing even harder. Yoruichi could do nothing but watch as Soi's hands got painted more and more with her own blood. Still she continued rubbing the girls back, embracing her tightly. When the coughing finally came to a halt, Yoruichi noticed she finally let out her own breath, wondering how long she was holding it in without even realizing it.

Soi relaxed and rested her head on Yoruichi's shoulder. She was aware of whom she was putting her weight on, yet at the same time she was too weak to care. Yoruichi's hand on her face also didn't help her motivation to move. She grunted, trying to form the words in her head to say, but Yoruichi beat her to saying anything.

"Gomen. No more teasing."

Soi bit down on her lip, putting her face to Yoruichi's collarbone. "Please..Yoruichi...sama…don't."

"Don't what?"

"Apologize." Soi said tearful, gripping Yoruichi's shirt with her shaking fists as she held back the tears that wanted to flow out. She wanted to say more, beg even, for her goddess to never tell her sorry ever again. But Yoruichi embracing her even harder, told her already that those words were unnecessary.

For a while, they laid sat there on the ground in silence as Yoruichi rocked the fever ridden girl tightly in her arms. "Soi Fon..."

"..hai?"

"You will never leave my side right?"

Soi Fon didn't reply, looking at Yoruichi. After a few seconds, she smirked closing her eyes not wanting to show her own emotion. In her mind she replied yes a thousand times, yet her lips never said a word. She began drifting unwillingly, feeling Yoruichi shake her a bit to wake her up, yet nothing. Even in Yoruichi's soothing embrace, Soi's body refused to obey. And shortly, Soi passed out.

This did not sit well with Yoruichi. She closed her eyes, gulping down her own anguish. She knew Soi was fighting. She knew she would do anything to get the girl better. Yet still, not hearing the words felt like a stab at the heart. She needed the words. The reassurance that Soi's body was not shutting down in her very arms at this very second. But no words meant just that, and the realization that Yoruichi was in denial hit her hard.

She began trembling as she laid Soi back down.

"Yoru-" came Urahara's voice from outside the door, "the connection is up."

"Hai.." was all the tan woman could reply to him as she looked at her little bee's sleeping face, planting a kiss on her head. "I love you..."

Standing up, Yoruichi then left the room meeting Urahara in the hallway, both of them with dead serious faces, knowing what the other was thinking. "Let's go," she said, walking into the other room, the shopkeeper behind her quietly. He wanted to ask her if she was ok, yet he knew that would only cause her to lash. She was the type that hid her emotions, and any indication that you were aware of them was suicide.

"Ok! Here we go!" he said loudly breaking the uneasy tension around the room as Ichigo and Orihime walked in as well.

Connecting….Connecting…Connecting….

"They on coffee break?" Ichigo stated, getting impatient that no one was answering.

"Patience Kurosaki," Urahara replied typing in further codes into his computer, worried at the same time to even look Yoruichi's way. "They'll answer."

Connecting…Connecting…Connecting….

"Urahara san..?" Orihime questioned now getting worried herself as she looked over at Yoruichi who kept starring at the screen with a death stare.

"A bug! A bug! Nothing to worry about. I'll just press this code and-"The screen went white, a sign someone answered and was waiting for video signal. "See? No reason to doubt."

"Kisuke…" Yoruichi said through her teeth. "Shut it."

"Awww so mean to me."

When the video came in, the figure on the screen was not that of Unohana Retsu like they had called, but that of Commander Yamamoto. Immediately, both Urahara and Yoruichi bowed in respect for the old man.

"Commander," Urahara said a bit nervous. "Forgive the intrusion. We were trying to get in contact with Unohana taichou. The connection must have sent it to you-"

The old man grunted starring at them both. "Urahara Kisuke, Shihouin Yoruichi" the old man said seriously before he let out a raspy breath. "It is a grave day to receive a call from you."

"Sir?" Urahara question, confused.

"The 2nd was ordered to contact you should they fail their mission to the Hive. You both are aware now of the danger that has hit the gotei?"

"Hai sir." Yoruichi and Urahara said in unison.

"The plague has spread throughout our streets with a vengeance. I suggest to you both if anything remains of the 2nd division, eliminate it. We cannot risk the mortal world infected. I will leave that task to the both of you."

"Eliminate it?" Ichigo questioned. "You mean kill them!"

Yamamoto nodded his head, his eyes closed before he opened them addressing the two former captains once again. "The Fon girl should have two vials in possession. They are a 48 hour vaccination for those free of the virus. Take them, and contain the spread of the virus. We in the seretei still capable will hold guard for when the 2nd barrier breaks. I want you all to remain on high alert."

Urahara looked over at Yoruichi, who was looking away towards the window. Her thoughts lost to him as he looked back at the screen, "sir, will all due respect. Is there no other option that Unohana taichou could come-"

"Unohana Retsu is dead." Yamamoto stated seriously, causing everyone to gasp. "Those with the virus are quarantined to a secure location within the walls. Those free of the virus have been placed in specialized tanks until the virus dissipates. We will need strong forces to counter the breaking of the 2nd barrier. If at that time you both wish to return to the seretei, you have full permission from central to do so. In the meantime follow the orders given."

Yoruichi stormed out of the room not wanting to listen to anymore.

"Understood, sir." Urahara stated, bowing his head again.

"Understood?" Ichigo exclaimed looking at Urahara. "How can you follow orders to kill off an entire division? Let alone freely allow the Hive barrier to break? Didn't you say-"

"Ichigo!" Urahara stated, his teeth grinding together with his head still bowed at the screen. "You can count on us Commander. Please take care of yourself."

"I do not need orders from you Urahara Kisuke." Yamamoto stated, the screen then turning black. Urahara then fell to his knees, not even knowing how to speak.

"Urahara san!" Orihime ran at his side as Ichigo just hissed at him. Urahara for the first time in a long time was at a loss in what to do. Getting back up he stormed out the room and ran into Soi Fon's room a terrified expression on his face.

"YOU'RE NOT LAYING A FINGER ON HER!" Yoruichi yelled as Urahara swung open the door panting, Yoruichi rocking Soi in her arms in the most protective manner. Urahara rushed at her side immediately, embracing the woman from behind.

"Yoru. Calm down. I'm not going to hurt her. Calm down."

"I can't kill her Kisuke. I won't kill her!" she continued, her emotions showing as she began crying while still rocking the girl who was semi awake due to fever. "I'll go to the hive myself. I'll fucking grow bug eyes if I have to, but I'll-"Yoruichi cut herself off with a gasp, instantly pushing away from Urahara's embrace. "Why am I so fucking stupid!" Chuckling a bit, she stood up picking up Soi, tears still in her yellow eyes. "Kisuke! Bug eyes Kisuke!" she said with an almost excited tone.

"Bug eyes?" he looked at her with a confused looked, Ichigo and the others doing the same as they wondered if she lost her sanity.

"Soi Fon isn't the only god damn soul we know with a bug spirit." Yoruichi stated, walking past them out the door and down the hallway towards the front door, the girl still in her arms limp though conscious.

"Ohh..OH! Of course! I forgot you called her bug eyes." Urahara shouted, chasing after the rushed woman. "Why the hell didn't we think of Mashiro before…"

"Cause we are fucking stupid Kisuke. That's why."

"Yoruichi..sama.." Soi said weakly in the woman's arms. "Your..not... stupid."

Yoruichi couldn't help but to smile at the girl's response. Here she was dying and yet was the stronger one of them both. "Yea yea..." was all Yoruichi replied as she disappeared between shunpo.

**Disclaimer: I do not own bleach or any of the characters here**

_Not one of my best writings but its basically plot information. Sorry it took so long, its a holiday week so that will be my excuse. Thanks everyone for the reviews so far. Enjoy your holidays. Will upload new chapter sometime soon_


	5. Panic

Yoruichi took deep breaths, catching her breath from the trip over to the Vizard hideout. She smirked at the irony of her own exhaustion, even though it was understandable for her to be. Goddess of Flash or not, she was carrying a limp load in her arms who had passed out again during the trip.

"I'll go in first" Urahara said, walking past Yoruichi and through the door. To this the woman didn't argue. Last thing the former gotei leaders needed was them opening the door to a panting Yoruichi with a dying captain in her arms. Imagine the shock that would be. So taking a few more breaths, she walked slowly behind Kisuke, not saying a word.

"HAT AND CLOGS SAN!" shouted Shinji as he opened the door with a bright smile on. "To what do I owe the pleasure? Did the cat drag you here," he said chuckling soon after, nudging him on the arm with the elbow at the pun he made.

"Actually-" Urahara replied with a smile and a dead tone, before turning to his side to expose Yoruichi's presence. "She did."

Shinji opened his eyes wide, his smile dropping immediately. With his arm he gestured for the two of them to enter while the rest of the vizards stood behind him with mortified expressions at seeing them at the door. But more importantly, what they were lugging with them.

Urahara took off his hat, walking into the house before the ground around him shook. He turned his head immediately to look behind him and saw the ground between him and Yoruichi splitting. "Yoru!-"

Yoruichi's reaction time was a blessing as she shunpo'd back a few feet before a giant earthworm hollow popped out of the ground to where she was standing before. If she had been any slower, both women would have been a meal.

"What the fuck is that?" Hiyori screamed, as Urahara dropped his hat to the ground and quickly unsheathed his caned sheathed blade.

The hollow paid no mind to him, lunging at the two women again. Yoruichi dodged left avoiding it before the earthworm dug beneath the ground again, creating a massive hole. To make matters worse Soi Fon began screaming and fidgeting in the dark woman's arms as a massive wave of reiastu engulfed the area.

"It's coming back!" shouted Shinji, as the earth shook again. Right on cue the hollow burrowed its way to the surface under both women, causing Yoruichi to toss herself to the side again, Soi falling out of her grip and crashing into the ground right in front of the hollow.

"SHUNKOU!" Yoruichi shouted immediately panicked, attacking the hollow from her position. The initial attack caused the hollow to screech followed by a wave of reiastu. Yoruichi opened her eyes as wide as the day she saw Soi with shunkou. Luckily at that moment multiple blasts fired from inside the hideout house, knocking the hollow back and down. Yoruichi took this opportunity to shunpo, grab Soi, and shunpo away again before the hollow picked himself up.

"Seems we got a pest problem boys," said Lisa with a calm tone as all the vizards stood in front of the hollow with their masks on. "I told you to throw out the fucking trash days ago. Now look, we got worms like I said we would."

"Technically you said cockroaches," replied Rose to her, getting into his stance.

"SAME SHIT!"

"Would you two stop bickering and just focus. I'm gonna end up killing this alone and then you both are gonna whine you didn't get any action," Kensei said to them both before slicing down at the hollow's head.

The hollow split before it began to regenerate. The three vizards stood confused watching it reform itself before Urahara informed them of what type of hollow it was.

"Awesome," they said sarcastically in unison before the former kidou corps vice commander bound the beast. Leaving it open for free attack.

"Hot…It's…Hot…." chanted Soi in Yoruichi's arms as the dark woman landed in front of the house. Yoruichi wasted no time in running inside as the attack on the hollow continued.

"Yoru...ichi…sama..."

"I know Soi! Fucks sake!" Yoruichi lashed at her in panic as she ran to the bathroom, immediately placing the wincing and extremely pale hyperventilating Soi into the bathtub before she ran the cold water and began splashing water on the girl.

Soi Fon's fever had spiked on the way over to the hideout and the hollow showing up didn't make it any better. To Soi the cold water seemed both agonizing and amazing, yet Yoruichi continued ignoring the girls wincing complaints as she rested on her knees in front of the tub and lifted Soi's head with her arm. Taking her free hand, she dipped it into the water and began rubbing the cold water around Soi's neck.

Soi was panting heavily as her chest heaved up and down. It looked like her heart was going to fly out of her chest. Shivering uncontrollably, she winced, her legs subconsciously moving back and forth as if she was in controllable pain. "Hot-t" she said in barely a whisper.

_Come on. Come on. COME ON. _Yoruichi chanted in her head as continued wetting the girls face and neck. Her hands were frozen but she pushed back the numbing pain. She could see steam coming out of Soi's body, and the girls reiastu was all over the place. Soi's mouth hung open as the girl took rapsy breaths. Yoruichi cupped some water in her hand and told Soi to drink some. The girl obeyed.

After a while, the cold water seemed to be working as Soi's rapid breathing finally started to calm down. All Yoruichi needed now was for herself to calm down as she shut the water with a shaking hand.

She stayed there not saying a word, just watching Soi's broken breaths and her sleeping body. Her mind wandered off in different thoughts of another life, of an old friend, whom she had not gotten a chance to mourn yet. She had no idea why she thought of Retsu while watching Soi but that's all she could think about. Little flashbacks here and there, including a promise they made the night before she saved Kisuke. To make Soi captain; to not let the commander hate them for leaving. Retsu kept her end of the bargain perfectly. It was sad to know that she was gone, but it was even more terrifying. If Retsu didn't pull through, what made her think Soi would? How selfish was she right now for pushing this girl past her limit?

"Knock knock," came Lisa's voice as she entered the room, breaking Yoruichi out of her trance. "Damn you could have at least taken off her clothes."

"Didn't think to," Yoruichi replied in a tired tone. "Is everyone ok?"

"Couple of bruises here and there but nothing to brag about. Oh and here," Lisa stated, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a vial filled with blue liquid. "Fell out of your pocket I am guessing. Kisuke informed us all already of what's going on. He told me to give it to you to take. He took his already."

"Oh. Okay." Yoruichi grabbed the vial with little motivation. "Is Shinji mad?"

"Mad? Well I think so but I always thought he was mad and in need of therapy."

"You know what I mean."

"I do," Lisa replied with a smile before walking over to Soi in the tub and began undoing her robes. "If you think we are mad because you brought the Alma plague in here we aren't. Actually Mashiro is ecstatic about it. She's wanted to go to the Hive for eons now, Kensei never let her though. Now he can't stop her."

Yoruichi sighed in relief before she lifted an eyebrow, "what the fuck are you doing?"

"Huh?"

"You're undressing my woman! Hey hey! I gave you Nanao, Soi is mine!"

Lisa laughed and rolled her eyes, "you keeping her with cold wet clothes on?"

"No but I can undress her myself. I don't trust those hands of yours at all."

"Come on. Even I'm not that twisted as to molest a sick girl." Lisa was gentle with Soi, and along with Yoruichi's help, they both managed to get the girl out of the tub and into a warm bathrobe. Every now and then Soi would semi open her eyes in the process of this, but said nothing. Perhaps, to Yoruichi's blessing, Soi didn't notice what was going on.

"Yoruichi?" Lisa questioned, wrapping up Soi's clothes in a towel. "You think..Nanao…is.."

"Don't think like that. I am sure she's fine. She's got Shunsei with her. Pervert as he is, you know he wouldn't let anything happen to her."

"Yea…I know."

"Didn't think you still thought about her."

"Of course I do. Never stopped. Just like you with her," Lisa gave Soi a warm look before she threw the towel in the sink. "I give you props. If it was Nanao here I would be freaking out."

"I am freaking out."

"Yea I know. I could tell from the clothes in the bathtub thing. Still, you're keeping your head at least. Even if. Well never mind."

"Even if what?"

"Nothing. Forget I said anything."

"Lisa! Even if what? Just say it. Here I'll do it for you. Even if it's hopeless."

"Yoruichi don't be like that."

"Oh? And how am I supposed to be when someone is saying that Soi is a lost cause. Huh? Tell me Lisa. How would you be if someone told you Nanao was?"

"Hey at least you know Soi is alive right now! Don't give me that shit Yoru. You at least have a chance to be with her before she goes. I don't even know if Nanao is dead. You have the fucking chance to be there at the end and you're throwing it away. For what! Tell me for what Yoruichi, cause I-"

"To save her life!"

"And if you can't? Wake the fuck up would you. Mashiro isn't the only one going I hope you know. Shinji, Rose, Hiyori, and Kensei are going to just to make sure they can put the seal back on AFTER it breaks."

Yoruichi gave her a death glare then slammed the bathroom door open, "I don't need to hear this shit."

"I think you do. I think you're in denial."

"I think you're a fucking bitch."

"Yoruichi!" Lisa shouted from behind the dark woman to get her to stop walking away. It worked much to Lisa's surprise. Quickly she stood in front of the woman who had pain written all across her face. "I support you 100% in this. I want you to save her. I know Yoru. I know better than anyone what the fuck is going on with you right now. But I also know if you're not here if she does go you will never forgive yourself. I mean you haven't even taken the vial yet. I know what you're thinking. And I'm not just going to sit back and watch it. Think about Kisuke for fucks sake. Think about how Soi would feel. The girl made a fucking life vow to give her life for yours. You think she's going to be fine with the concept of you just offing yourself if you fail? Fuck Yoruichi!"

Much to Yoruichi's luck, Soi was paying attention the whole time since the argument. She had heard enough after Lisa's speech and touched her mentor's cheek. Yoruichi looked down at Soi's sad face and dropped down to a sitting position on the floor with Soi on her lap. She didn't say a word. She didn't need to. What Lisa said was the truth and now Soi Fon knew.

Soi herself knew to say nothing, and simply took the vial from Yoruichi and tried to undo the cork with weak shaking hands before Yoruichi took it from her and opened it. She already knew what he young girl wanted from her and with much hesitation and completely against what she wanted; she drank it in one shot. Tears in her eyes.

Soi took in a deep breath before she nodded her head in approval and then turned her face towards Lisa who was crying as well. She chuckled once before she coughed then turned her head slowly away from both of them to stare out into a fevered abyss. Emotional moments were never her strong point. Her vision was becoming blurry and moving her head quickly she rested her eyes on Yoruichi.

_If I should die, then please allow me to set upon your smiling face as the last thing I see_. Soi thought, hoping Yoruichi could read her mind and crack a smile. But one never came.

"I'll take her to a room Yoru. Go meet with the others. The sooner you leave the better."

Yoruichi handed Soi to Lisa before she stood up herself. Quickly, Soi took in a giant breath, "I love..you..sempai..and..I…" she paused to take more breaths, "don't want. You to get. Hurt. For me. Be careful. And. Goodbye."

Yoruichi then rushed over to Soi and planted a swift gentle kiss on the girl's lips before she was pushed off by Lisa of all people. "Hey hey! Not that I don't like a good pornographic moment, but your first kiss doesn't need to be on top of me. Ok? Ok! Glad we got that."

Both Yoruichi and Soi laughed which was enough to cover Soi's massive blush. It pained them both when Lisa began walking away with a weak beaten Soi but all they could do is let it happen. Yoruichi knew she had just given Soi more of a reason to keep fighting and living. And with that she bought herself a few hours.

_So what if I am selfish? Let me be selfish then. I have pushed that girl past her limit before. And I will keep doing it over and over again if it keeps her at my side. _Yoruichi thought as she shunpo'd downstairs to meet with the others.

Lisa laid Soi Fon down on the futon and went to close the curtain. Soi however closed her eyes before Lisa was even at the window._ If I die now, I am ready. I accept this fate. But if I live, I can see you more. So I will try to live, for you. To stay by your side. Like I always have. _

"Ready? I'm ready! You all should be ready!" Mashiro shouted to everyone as everyone stood around her.

Yoruichi looked at Kisuke who smiled at her, taking her hand in his palm. "Ready.."

"Yay! Let's do this!" Mashiro shouted, her face changing to her mask as she slammed her palms to the ground. Suddenly a white light engulfed them, and they were gone.

**Disclaimer: I do not own bleach nor the characters etc etc.**

_Gomen for taking so long to update. I am not gonna lie, I chose video games over writing lol. I hope I am forgiven. _


	6. The Hive

Sorry for the extremely late update. I ended up moving to another state with my "Kisuke" and between him, schoolwork (almost got my history education degree) and the Vizards being shinigami again (sorry if that's a spoiler I don't know I only read the manga), I got to a roadblock with this story. I will try my best to work around it though. Hope you guys enjoy. And thanks so much for the epic reviews and PM!

I will try to finish this story within the next few days

**Disclaimer: I do not own bleach or any of the characters listed in this story.**

****

**Chapter 6: The Hive**

It seemed as they were flying up into heaven itself at an immense speed. Kisuke gripped onto Yoruichi's hand, his other hand holding down his hat on his head, smiling at her for reassurance. There was nothing around them but a vast blanket of white. No sky, no ground, no walls. As if they were flying in an abyss of pure nothingness. Yoruichi smirked back at Kisuke, closing her eyes from the brightness of the white and to prevent further wind from blowing into her eyes.

It was about a minute later when she felt firm soil beneath her feet, a strong scent penetrates her nostrils, and the sound of Mashiro's cheering, that she opened her eyes again to witness the area around her. And what a sight it was. A utopia for people like Mashiro and Soi, but a nightmare for her.

Flowers; nothing but flowers. It was as if they landed directly in the middle of a field of them. But not just one kind of flower. Multiple types. The different colors caused her eyes to squint slightly at the brightness of them, and the scent though pleasant to many, was causing her to feel dizzy.

Grunting, Yoruichi rested her forehead on Urahara's shoulder, earning her a chuckle from him. "Aww does my poor kitty not like the smell?" he said to her teasingly, causing her to lift her head up again and squint her eyes directly at his face. She opened her mouth to say something cold to him in that moment, and though Urahara had braced himself for the death threat, he did not prepare himself for what actually came out of her mouth.

She sneezed. And not a light sneeze either. The scent of the flowers penetrated her senses when she had opened her mouth, that she could not hold back the urge to let it out. Though poor Kisuke really wish she had.

_You love this woman Kisuke. You love her, _he chanted convincingly in his thoughts as he took his sleeve and wiped down his face not saying a word before he turned to look at her face which held such an expression that he could not control himself from laughing at.

"Shut it Kisuke!" Yoruichi snapped at him, sniffling in at the same time. "You know how much I hate..." she began breathing in. "How much I hate..." she breathed in again, "How much I"... *ACHOO!* "ugh...flowers..."

"Well you're in for a rough hike then Pad foot" said Kensei as he walked slowly past the two of them, "just take a look around you."

Yoruichi grunted uncomfortably at noticing what Kensei was talking about. They didn't land on a field of flowers; the whole plane was nothing but flowers. Even the mountains in the distance were painted completely white from base to head and through at first glance it looked like snow, realization hit in that the white were all daisies. Yoruichi felt like fainting then and there.

"Do you want me to carry you?" Urahara asked, worried about how her nose sensitivity was affecting her. But Yoruichi immediately shook her head at the offer.

"Let's just get to where it is we need to go" she said in a dead tone, pulling away from Urahara. "Mashiro do you- Mashiro?" Yoruichi looked at the girl who stood dead starring up into the sky unmoving. The two small antennas that came out above her mask stood straight and the girl looked petrified. Kensei walked over to her but before his hand landed on her shoulder, she turned around. "The barrier…it's..." She turned over to Yoruichi before she finished her sentence, "it's cracking fast."

Yoruichi glared at her, feeling everyone's eyes on her. She felt like screaming in that moment; to rush back to where Soi Fon was. But she restrained herself and with a ton of effort, took a breath in. "Then I guess we better get a move on. Where's this ingredient?" she asked turning to Urahara who nodded his head instead of comforting the woman he knew was in pain on the inside.

"It should be in the cave to the west if I can recall correctly from what I read of this place."

"Cave?" Mashiro asked knowing the place that he was talking about having sensed it the minute they arrived. "You mean the one with the dark presence in it?"

"Dark, presence?" questioned Hiyori not knowing what she was talking about. Mashiro then caught on that she was the only one capable of sensing anything in this plane.

"Oh good!" said Urahara with more glee in his tone then sarcasm, "I was right then. I was a bit concerned it may have moved."

"What the hell are you talking about clogs san?" asked Shinji.

"Well you see the ingredient is actually saliva. Nasty no?"

"Saliva from this dark presence I take it?" Yoruichi raised a brow.

"Yea. What Mashiro is sensing is more than likely Orgonia, the ancient spider. It's his saliva that we need."

"OH NO! NO NO NO!" Mashiro began shouting, shaking her hands, and stepping back from the group. "You told me to lead you here you never said anything about Orgonia. I'm not going there."

Urahara looked at the girl with a pleading expression, "you have to though Mashiro. You're the only one that can communicate with it."

"Hell no! I heard stories from my zanpaktou about him. Orgonia, the infamous father spider. Eats anything in his path. Fuck no. You're on your own. I'm sorry Yoruichi but-"

Mashiro's words were halted by a slap to her face by none other than the woman she was just apologizing to. Rubbing her cheek she turned to the dark girl who still had her arm up though it was currently being held by Urahara who rushed to stop the woman from beating the girl to a pulp. "I don't care how fucking terrified you are. Stop whining and start moving. I swear to god Mashiro I will eat you myself if Soi Fon dies."

The tension was dropped when Hiyori chuckled saying the word 'kinky' to Yoruichi's statement, earning the girl various death glances and a sigh from Shinji.

Lisa wiped more blood from the side of Soi's lips. In the last 10 minutes, the girls blooded cough turned into blooded vomit and she knew that the poor girl was at her limit. Having read about the symptoms of the Alma plague, as well as being witness to the first outbreak when she was just a child, the vomiting of blood was soon followed by death. At this rate if Soi did not receive the cure she would surely die within the next few hours if not less.

Still Lisa pushed with all her efforts to make the girl as comfortable as she could. Soi Fon's eyes were fluttering open, as if she were trying to wake up and yet failing. Every once in a while, Soi would stare at Lisa in a trance like fashion, smile and say "Yoruichi-sama."

Moments like those Lisa could only muster up a warm smile back and say "I'm here," knowing perfectly well that correcting the girl would only cause her anguish. Her fever had reached the peak of illusion, and the main thing that soothed Soi Fon, even in the most painful times or experiences, was Yoruichi being by her side.

Lisa's fake Yoruichi moment faded quickly as Soi Fon fell quickly back to sleep with her uneven breaths.

_Please hurry…_she thought looking down at the Chinese girl's sword which had a long crack in it.

For a long of the time, the group travelled in a dead silence only speaking when Mashiro sensed a hollow and would tell the group to hide. Hiding was the best option for everyone because of 2 reasons. The first, getting into a fight with one hollow would more likely trigger a domino effect that would cause the group to fight hollows off endlessly. Even for this group of people, one hive hollow was strong enough to take them all on, let alone more than one at a time.

The second reason was time itself. Mashiro never told the group again when she would feel the seal weakening again, however Yoruichi noticed it anyway when the girl's eyes would shoot out in a slight shock. The dark woman's thoughts always trailed off to think of Soi.

_Please don't leave my side. I need you my bee. I don't show it but I need you._

The flowers were not bothering the dark woman as much as they were in the beginning, and with each step she took, her sniffles became less and less frequent. However her gesture had changed and began becoming noticeable to the shop keeper, who remained walking by her side. All the years they had been together, Urahara could say he knew the woman better then she would like him to. And then his own thoughts trailed off to the sick girl back at the Vizard base. He himself went into a flashback moment as he walked, remembering a time where he would hold an empty folder, label it confidential, and told the young 4th seat Soi Fon that he had stolen it from Yoruichi's office. The memory of the tiny girl jumping up and down insulting him with every insult as she tried to grab the folder back from him, cause him to chuckle out loud and break some of the silence that he and Yoruichi walked under.

"What's so funny?" the purple haired woman asked as she continued walking.

"Nothing. Just.. an old memory that came to mind."

"Oh.." she said in a dead tone, not bothering to question him on the memory. Yoruichi knew that Kisuke, as much as he never showed it, had an admiration for Soi, and regarded her as a younger sister sometimes. She also knew that he was aware of the love she held for Soi, and though he never brought it up in conversation, she always saw that sting of guilt in his eyes for being the reason her and Soi were apart for so long. Still, Yoruichi never once blamed the man, she loved him after all, and she was to blame as much as he was. She had chosen to leave, he had never forced her. On top of which he never stopped her from sneaking around to go see her. Something that Soi Fon herself did not even know. Urahara knew that her heart did not just belong to him, and he never once complained about it either.

"I kissed her" Yoruichi stated, making small talk to the man.

"Huh?" he looked confused at her sudden small talk since they had been walking in silence for a while already.

"I kissed Soi."

"On the lips?" he questioned, though a smirk appearing on his face as well.

Yoruichi nodded her head at his question, "on top of Lisa too."

Urahara began laughing, causing the group of Vizards to turn and glance over their shoulders for a second. "Did she enjoy it?"

"Who? Lisa or Soi?" Yoruichi snickered, "Soi was shocked and Lisa was mortified."

Urahara continued laughing, enjoying the small moment of happiness that had found its way through all the terrible emotions. But even then, good things come to an end.

"We're here" Mashiro said, looking into the entrance of the cave that looked bigger than the gates of hell themselves.

But before anyone could get a word in, a giant ripping noise was heard all around, and the ground began to shake.

"AHHHHHH!"

"SOI FON!" screamed out Lisa in a panic as the young girl began breathing rapidly and harshly.

The young captain gripped onto Lisa's hand for dear life, "please Yoruichi sama," she stated, squeezing her eyes tight shut, "please help me…Yoruichi sama. It hurts!"

Lisa didn't know how to react and what to say. She held onto the girl's hand tightly and placed her other palm gently on the girl's burning head. "I'm here Soi, I'm here. Umm…don't give up. Stay strong. It will all be over soon." _Please for the love of God don't die! _She thought, keeping up with her charade of being the girl's goddess.

"Gomen Yoruichi- sama…gomen…I'm not…strong enough…" She said as tears began to fall through the side of her eyes, the burning ache of more blood coming up her throat.


	7. We need to go

Yoruichi grabbed hold of Kisuke's shoulder for balance, "what the hell is going on?!" she shouted looking over to Mashiro who had a strong grip on a nearby small tree.

"I don't know!" the young girl shouted back, her eyes pressed shut as she was in pain, "but everything around is freaking out!"

"Freaking out?!" Yoruichi questioned as she tighten her grip on Kisuke's shoulder who was also supporting himself with the wall from the cave entrance. She was about to speak again when a group of massive size flies flew up from the forest around them, making haste towards the mountain range in the horizon.

"We have to get the fuck out of here!" Mashiro shouted, "this was a stupid idea!" Just as she finished her sentence she lost grip of the tree she was clinging onto and stumbled backwards onto the ground. Immediately, she covered her ears in a fetal position on the ground, groaning as her body vibrated with the moving earth beneath her. She opened an eye to look at Urahara, "The seal is breaking! We have to- AGH!"

A giant grasshopper had landed just a few feet away from where the former vice captain was, interrupting her.

"MASHIRO!" Kensei shouted, unsheathing his blade and charging towards the giant beast of a bug. However, before he could reach it, it jumped again, this time over the cave and away from the group.

Kensei dropped to his knees, and placed his free hand on his former vice captain's back. "You ok?"

"Yea," she replied in a whisper tone, the ground shaking slowly making her nauseated. "Nothing seems to mind us. It's what's coming that they are running from."

"Kensei get out of there!" Kisuke shouted, noticing the tree behind the two was beginning to fall. Without hesitation the former captain grabbed Mashiro and shunpo'd to where the others were.

"We gotta get out of here. It's a death trap."

Yoruichi turned towards the cave entrance, ignoring Kensei's words about leaving and gasped with her eyes. Like the trees around them, the rocks around the entrance to the cave were also collapsing. Quickly she let go of his shoulder and shunpo'd inside the cave.

"Yoruichi!" Kisuke shouted, moving away from the cave wall to the entrance only to be suddenly pulled back by Hiyori who had wrapped her arms around his waist and spared him the agony of a boulder landing dead on his head.

"Ya retard! Who goes into a cave during an earthquake?! You wanna die?"

Kisuke said nothing to his former vice captain and unwrapped her grip on him. "Shinji, stay here and start working on the seal with the others. I have to-"

"Say no more! I'm on it, just go!"

Kisuke adjusted his cap on his head before he turned and quickly ran into the darkness of the cave in front. He didn't want to admit it but their time was up. What was worse is not only their failure but whom they had failed. And now he was running as fast as he could, trying to catch up to speed goddess no less, which happened to be running in a cave where he couldn't see a thing in front of him.

For the first time in a long time he felt anxiety and nerves bubble in his stomach. Ironically it wasn't for would could lie ahead, but instead he was nervous in catching the very same person he was chasing.

_How the hell am I supposed to stop her? How the hell am I supposed to tell her that Soi is gone?_

**..In Vizard Hideout..**

The groaning noises and agonizing screams that came out of the petite 2nd division captain's mouth were nothing to Lisa compared to when they stopped. She remained there in silence, starring at the young girl who took in slow sharp breaths and did nothing more than stare up at the ceiling. A few times the gap between the sharp breaths would increase, and Lisa would ask Soi if she was still alive, although the young captain never replied. If it wasn't for the occasional blink that would come from Soi, Lisa would have thrown a drape over the petite girl already.

The door to the room slid open causing Lisa to look away from Soi, seeing a very tired Love at the entrance. "The hollows stopped. Tessai is outside with Hachi right now cleaning up. Wasn't sure if you wanted a break from being in here; God knows you've been exposed enough to this thing being cooped in here with her."

"Well she's still alive. I'm not about to leave her alone while she's on her death bed. Besides, I've been exposed before to this. I'm immune for some reason. You on the other hand should probably go."

Love sat down. "I'm immune too. I was around for the first outbreak or did you forget? Just saying you look like you could use a break."

"Thanks for saying I look like shit. You look just as good as me."

"I'm tired." Love looked down at Soi's unmoving body and drew a sharp breath in before lulling his head back and releasing the air in a heavy sigh. "I doubt it will work but, maybe we should get into contact with the group. You know. To see if they are still alive and what not."

"I doubt they're dead."

"I know. But the girl pretty much is. They need to mend the seal already before they get caught in the crossfire of it. God knows even they can't handle that."

"So you're saying for them to give up?"

"Huh?" Love was confused for a split second before he tilted his head back to normal position, then stared at Lisa with tired eyes. "It's not a matter of giving up. You know that. They tried. Hell, we tried too by helping this girl and buying them some extra time. Maybe if we had known about it earlier we might have been able to do more. But Fung has what, a few minutes left? I'm worried more about the others who are still in there. Even if they got the ingredient, they don't have much time to stay in there before they are stuck there."

_A few minutes_, Lisa repeated in her head as she starred as Soi's body. She knew, as she was sure Love did as well, what the last minutes of a body with the plague looked like. And sadly, Soi looked exactly the same. She didn't argue with Love on it as there was no point and he was right. Even if they had gotten the ingredient, Soi probably wouldn't be alive when they got back with it, let alone wait for them to boil it into the cure. "You think she's in pain?" Lisa questioned out loud with silent dead tone, as if the question was meant more for her then for him.

"Probably," he replied, placing a hand on Lisa's shoulder to scoot her over into a friendly embrace as they sat on the ground. "It almost feels like a sin to say that you wish her to die already, but knowing the pain she's under you just want her to. To free her from the agony. At least, that's how I felt in this moment when it was my mother who was laying on the deathbed. I felt guilty I thought it, but my father was right in saying it was a normal feeling. I guess that meant he wanted it too." Love let go of the embrace and stood up. "Anyway, don't dwell on just one person Lisa, it will kill you on the inside. We just need to see that we can spare others from this fate. I'm going to go see if I can get a hold of them. Call me if you need anything."

Lisa nodded in reply and heard the door to the room slide shut. Her thoughts began trailing off to the time when Yoruichi first had introduced Soi to her. It wasn't long before she smirked at her own memories, noticing a tear sliding quickly down her eye as well, which she ignored and looked down at the limp body in front of her. "Girl, you have no idea…how much that woman is going to miss you…"

…**In the Cave…**

Yoruichi ran at the speed which her legs allowed. The darkness didn't bother her. She had prepped all her life to be a master of stealth, and her eyes embraced it. What did bother her, however, were the walls that seemed to sliding around almost snake like. A centipede or a millipede, she thought. Still, she kept ignoring it. The earthquake had terrified her more than any bug could at this point.

"Yoruichi!" she heard in the background, stopping. It was quite a few ways away, as if Kisuke's echo was the thing that had reached her at this distance. The walls around her began to move again, and now she had a new panic. Not for her, but for him.

"Kisuke!" she screamed back at him. "There's a huge bug on the wall, be careful!"

"AWESOME!" he screamed back, and his sarcastic tone about it actually made her smile. "I can't see shit!"

Sighing, she turned back around and finally reached him and grabbed him by the wrist. "I'm guessing I have to be the knight in shining armor this time eh? What would you do wit-" she was cut off by Urahara grabbing her by the shoulders, his eyes directly on hers.

"Yoru.." he said with a very sad tone and that's when she noticed that his eyes were blurred with water.

"Kisuke? What's the matter?" But he never answered the question and grabbed her into a tight embrace. "Kisuke, your scaring me," and her vision too began blurring with tears as if she knew what he was about to say already.

"We need to go."

Yoruichi began shaking her head, not being able to say a word as her voice failed her in saying anything that wasn't going to end with a sob.

"We need to go," he repeated holding her tighter as if the amount of strength he put behind his embrace mattered in comforting her. "They are putting the seal back up. We'll get caught in here if we don't leave."

_No. No. No._ "NO!" She screamed, pushing him back with any strength she could muster up, but Kisuke grabbed her again and held on, even when she began pounding at his chest or when her knees gave out and he was supporting her up.

Her sobs was piercing his heart. He had seen her this way before, a very long time ago when her mother had died, and back then he had been to young and naïve to know not to let go. She had went into a depression that caused her to be silent and full of anger which only broke after she had met the young Soi. But what was he to do now? He picked her up against her will and began running out of the cave, but his eyes were not hers. He tripped on rock and went crashing down into the ground which was moist and softer then he had anticipated however the only thing on his mind right now was that he at least didn't fall on top of her, though he had dropped her.

"Please," she said in a whisper, sitting up on the ground "just leave me here."

"You're stupid if you think I am going to do that."

"Then call me stupid.."

Urahara ignored her and picked her up bridal style and began running again, seeing light cracking through some boulders which had sealed off the entrance of the cave. "Brace yourself!" he screamed to the woman in her arms but she didn't make a sound or flinch at all, even when he kicked an opening for the two of them to get out. She just lay limp in his arms, barely blinking.

"What the hell happened to you guys?!" screamed Hiyori, looking at them over her shoulders as her palms were held up towards the other Vizards who were standing in a circle chanting a seal. "You guys look like you went up someone's nose instead of a cave."

_Huh?_ Kisuke questioned in his mind, and noticed Yoruichi's eyes open wide as she starred at her hand and arm, and then up at him. They were both covered in a green and white slime.

"Saliva!" They screamed in unison, and Yoruichi flew out of his arms, with new found strength. "We must of landed in a small pool of it when you tripped. WE NEED TO HURRY KISUKE!"

"Hai. MASHIRO!" he called to her, but received no reply.

"Kisuke about fucking time!" shouted Kensei from his position in the sealing process. "We could use your help."

"We got the saliva!" Kisuke shouted back.

"That's fucking lovely. Who gives a shit! This isn't working." Shinji shouted, obviously annoyed and frustrated.

At that moment a loud screeching and crashing sound was heard and the sky above cracked wide open.

"FUCK! THE SEAL BROKE!" Mashiro screamed, holding down her ears, as was everyone when the noise began. Mashiro noticed Shinji's ears were bleeding.

"HOLD THE LINE!" Kensei shouted with force. "DO NOT BREAK YOUR POSITIONS! WE ARE ALMOST DONE!"

_The seal, broke? _Were the words repeating in Yoruichi's mind. Everything after that point seemed like a blur.

_The seal broke._ The sound of Kensei shouting with words she didn't make out. _The seal broke_. Kisuke running into the circle to help. _The seal broke._ The unnecessary loudness of the area around them.

"Yoruichi quit standing there and help us ya retard!" Hiyori shouted, but at no avail. Yoruichi was not moving from the spot she stood.

She looked up and saw, what looked like to be a giant cone coming out from the crack in the sky. Then watching it closer, she noticed it was a stinger. "Figures," she whispered with trembling lips, "you would be a giant bee."

"YORUICHI!" Kisuke shouted, probably trying to get her to move and help as well. She didn't care, she just kept staring at the massive bee making its way out of the sky. Eyes that seemed to be look at her.

The former leaders blared up their reiastu's, the completion of the seal was almost done. Still, the giant insect was trying to push through it.

She balled her hands into fists and began talking to the insect, though it was too low with the screeching that it was like she was talking to herself. "I once loved a bee. No. Wait. I STILL love a bee. And I…HAVE KEPT HER WAITING LONG ENOUGH!" Yoruichi flew up into the sky, "SHUNKOU!"

And suddenly all there was was a giant flash of white light.

**..The Vizard Hideout..**

Lisa held a look of pure exhaustion. She had held the girls hand through the last breath, and the hardest one to handle. Soi had struggled, fought, even at the very end she had tried to take another breath and flailed around when realizing that she couldn't find any air. She was staring at Lisa, eyes full of want and need, but when her sword had broken in half and her eyes along with her body fell limp, Lisa knew that she had lost the struggle.

She let go of the girls hand, leaned her weight back on her knees, and cocked her head down. How many people had she seen die to this plague? How many children became orphans because of it? Nanao was one. With trembling hands she picked up the sheet that covered Soi to her stomach and began raising it up before she was suddenly stopped by the door sliding open abruptly.

She didn't need to look up to know who it was. She remained kneeling, hands on the sheet which had stopped moving upward at reaching Soi's neck, and waiting for the courage to look up. She couldn't find it.

"Don't you dare cover her up Lisa."

"Yoru," she spoke, almost low enough to be considered a whisper, "Yoru..I.." her voice cracked, and at hearing it she finally looked up at the dark woman to finish her sentence but at the sight of her appearance, she couldn't. Yoruichi was dirty, bruised, and her entire figure was trembling. Lisa knew by just seeing her at that second, Yoruichi wasn't moving forward because it wasn't that she didn't want to, but because she couldn't. Instantly she shunpo'd to the dark woman just in time to catch her when the dark woman's legs gave out. The sob that followed was heart breaking.

Yoruichi felt like her heart was breaking in her chest. She was gasping for air, falling to her knees as Lisa held onto her. She didn't care she was sobbing like a child, and she sure as hell didn't care who was seeing her. Soi Fung's body was mere inches away, pale, and unmoving. She would give anything to see her chest moving up and down again, even in the ragged breaths that had caused her panic just a measly few hours ago. But there was nothing.

She moved away from Lisa, who was also in tears right now. Crawling with trembling arms on the wooden ground, she made her way to Soi and picked the girl's limp torso with her right arm, and cradled Soi, sobbing, before she began talking to it.

"I know I'm covered in bruises my bee. Don't worry, I'm fine. Nothing broken, see? Just a couple of scratches. If you open your eyes you'll see they aren't even deep. So what do you say huh? Come on my bee, open your eyes. You can scold me for being clumsy, it's ok. You're always so paranoid, so I'm kind of used to it." She paused with a nervous smirk which left as fast as it came. Her lips trembling even more profusely now at seeing Soi's head lulled back against her arm, unresponsive. "GOD DAMMIT SOI FON SAY SOMETHING!"

"Yoru.." Kisuke came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder, but she swatted it away and kept embracing Soi.

"Just ignore them Soi. It's just me and you, right? You would never leave my side. I know you wouldn't. So let's shut them up. Just open your eyes and prove them wrong. Come on my bee. Just…open..them-"

Yoruichi's words were cut short by herself when she started to cry too much for her to continue. Her tears splashed on the face of the now paler Soi's face, and her eyes were so watered down that she would think she was looking at Soi through a faded window. She couldn't stop shaking, and when she felt Kisuke's tight embrace from behind she lost it.

"SOI FON! NOOO!"

Kisuke rocked the woman in his arms from behind, making a shhh sound into her ears to try to get her to calm down. He was fighting off the sting of tears as well, keeping it together for the both of them, "it's ok Yoru. Shh. It's ok."

"Kissuke.." she said between sobs.

"Shh, I know Yoru. I know..it's ok." He didn't know what else to say. Her heart was breaking, and Urahara wasn't oblivious to that knowledge. Behind him he heard Shinji say something about getting Yoruichi out of here before Soi broke into particles, but Lisa had shaken her head informing him that Yoruichi needed to be here for that, as hard as it was.

After 2 hours, the sun began to set, and Soi's body began the process of evaporating. Urahara had believed the most difficult part of it was the start; when her broken sword began evaporating and the realization that the process had begun hit everyone. But he was dead wrong. When Soi's body began glowing and floating into tiny particles into the air, there was not a single being or soul alive that could calm Yoruichi. She kept screaming for more time, for Soi to open her eyes, to not let go, and even kept planting kisses on the girl's cold lips and cheeks saying she loved her and to not leave her. But the process, as even she knew, was one that didn't just stop.

Towards the end of it, when Soi's bright blue light began fading into a white one, Yoruichi rested her lips on Soi's forehead, eyes closed and petted the top of the girl's head, like she used to all the time, and like Soi used to all the time for her. She became lost in many moments that had made her love the girl and for a second, Yoruichi felt Soi right next to her, still alive not fading away, still laughing, and above all; still loving her:

'_What is that noise..buzz,buzz,buzz, aha! I found a bee! haha' _

'_Yoruichi sama! I have to meet with the council in about an hour. Knock it off.'_

'_Oro? Is my bee caring about how her hair looks? Oh, gods no, she's hit puberty! When did my baby girl grow up?!'_

_(fixing her air) 'You sound like a mother, just so you know. Well, at least you don't have to worry about you not having maternal instincts, cause I think you got them down packed.'_

'_HAHA! Well, what if I told you I didn't want them. I think I rather be a dad to OUR kids rather than a mom. Wouldn't you Agree? '_

'_Yo..Yo..YORUICHI –SAMA!' _

'_Now, now, my bee, I told you before to drop the sama crap. And why are you blushing so hard. Ohhhhh, if I didn't know any better I would say you loved me haha.' _

'_Well you don't know any better, Yoruichi SAMA. I do love you. So um..yea. I got to go. I'll see you later. Bye! Take care.'_

'_Huh? Oi Soi! Wait up!' _

"I will love you always, and never forget you my bee."

And with those last words, Soi disappeared, leaving Yoruichi in fetal position on the blood and sweat covered futon.

…**The Aftermath….**

The Alma plague had claimed the lives of many shinigami's as well as souls in the districts. Both the 2nd division and the 4th division were almost completely annihilated, leaving only 3 to 4 people in each of the two divisions, as well as the 12th division which took a hard blow by studying and containing the virus, leaving only 7 members in its division.

The total death count was well in the 6 digits, however many more would have died if it weren't for the saliva both Yoruichi and Urahara had brought back with them. Among those who were saved with the saliva were Orihime who had contracted the plague from Soi Fon, and ironically Nanao, which Lisa stayed by her bedside throughout the entire process of her recovery.

Because of the events that took place, and the amount of lives that were claimed by the virus, the gotei decided to combine an idea of the 4th and 12th and open a branch of both of them as a center for shinigami and hollow diseases. Mashiro currently works happily as the head specialist for the Alma Plague, and constantly guides a group into the Hive to take samples and gather supplies.

3 years after the death of Soi, Yoruichi had finally decided to take the offer which was given to her and return as captain of her and Soi's old division, under the circumstances that she would be allowed to hand choose her own members to rebuild the division. To this, Central 46 complied, and although Omeda remained as the Vice Captain, Urahara, Lisa, and Kuukaku joined to serve with her.

Not a day goes by that Yoruichi does not think of Soi Fon.


End file.
